Attleboro's Ray Conniff: Artist, Innovator, Hitmaker 

For more than 60 years, Grammy-winning bandleader and tastemaker Ray Conniff was a  star performer and behind-the scenes wizard who followed his passion for rhythm and melody to the top echelon of recorded music.

A high school trombone player whose  musical vision ranged far beyond the bandstand, Conniff emerged as one of the top album-sellers of all time despite changing musical trends that overwhelmed some of his contemporaries.

But Conniff, who was raised and began his musical career in Attleboro  until recent years never  achieved tangible recognition in his hometown in the form of a street or public park named in his honor.

That changed in 2009  when the city of Attleboro formally dedicated the historic bandstand at Capron Park in his memory. 

"It always surprised me that nothing was done for him while he was alive," said Park Commissioner Tony Viveiros, who noted Conniff maintained strong ties to the area and returned often to visit during his lifetime.

Conniff died in 2002 after a lifetime of accomplishments that included a career as a topflight big band trombonist, bandleader, arrranger and the magician behind some of the greatest musical hits of the 1950s. He was also an innovator who tapped into public moods and technical trends o create his own distinctive sound.

"Music was so central to him," said Vera Conniff, his second wife. "He used to say 'music is muy hobby,' but it was also his profession. He would have done it for free. That's how much he liked to make people happy."

Starting from humble origins, Conniff's musical career was so long, varied and successful as to almost defy description.

His artistry was born in the swing era and flourished throughout the 1950s and 60s. Yet just when his mellow adult contemporary music began to sound dated in his own country, it re-emerged to even greater popularity abroad winning fans from South America to Russia.
Taught trombone by his bandleader father, Conniff attended Juilliard and performed and worked as an arranger with Bunny Berigan, Artie Shaw and Harry James to name just a few.
Following World War II he worked under Columbia Records A & R Chief Mitch Miller where he arranged and recorded hits for Rosemary Clooney, Frankie Laine, Marty Robbins and others. Conniff played a key role in the launch of the career of Johnny Mathis, backing several of his most famous hit songs.

In 1966 his career was  crowned by winning a Grammy for "Lara's Theme," the title song from the film "Dr. Zhivago."